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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

• About the 419 (Advance Fee) scam
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Victims never receive this non-existent fortune but are tricked into sending their money to the criminals, who remain anonymous. They hide their real identity and location by using fake names and fake postal addresses as well as communicating via anonymous free email accounts and mobile phones.

Read more about such scams here or in our 419 FAQ. Use the Scam-O-Matic to verify suspect emails.

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Some comments by the Scam-O-Matic about the following email:

• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "dear friend" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "million dollars" (they want you to be blinded by the prospect of quick money, but the only money that ever changes hands in 419 scams is from you to the criminals)
  • "your urgent reply" (they are rushing you so you don't have time to think properly)
• This email message is a next of kin scam.

Fraud email example:

From: kwamejose_0010@mail2ghana.com
Reply-To: kwa_jose0010@rixmail.se
Date: Fri, 25 May 2007 12:11:07 -0400
Subject: PERSONAL MEMO




PERSONAL MEMO
From:Dr.Jose Kwame.
kwa_jose0010@rixmail.se

MUTUAL BUSINESS PROPOSAL

Dear Friend,

I am Dr.Jose Kwame, an Audit official in a financial institution here in Accra [GHANA]. I am writing following an oppurtunity in my office that will be of imense benefit to both of us. In my department we discovered an abandoned sum of $17 Million dollars (SEVENTEEN MILLION DOLLARS.) in an account that belongs to one of our foreign customers Late Mr. Morris Thompson an American who unfortunately lost his life in the plane crash of Alaska Airlines Flight 261 which crashed on January 31 2000, including his wife and only daughter. You can read more about the crash by visiting this site which I got during my investigation; http://www.cnn.com/2000/US/02/01/alaska.airlines.list

Since we got information about his death, we have been expecting his next of kin or relatves to come over and claim his money because we cannot release it unless somebody applies for it as next of kin or relation to the deceased as indicated in our banking guidelines. Unfortunately I learnt that his supposed next of kin being his only daughter died along with him in the plane crash leaving nobody with the knowledge of this fund behind for the claim. It is therefore upon this discovery that I and two other officials in this department now decided to make business with you and release the money to you as the next of kin or beneficiary of the funds for safe keeping and subsequent disbursement since nobody is coming for it .

We don’t want this money to go back into Government treasury as unclaimed fund. The banking law and guidelines here stipulates that such money remained after eigh years the money will be transferred into banking treasury as unclaimed fund.

We agreed that 35% of this money will be for you as foreign partner,while the balance will be for my colleagues and me. I will visit your country for the disbursement according to the percentages indicated above once this money gets into your account.

Note this transaction is confidential and risk free.

Please note that all necessary arrangement for the smooth release of these fund to you has been finalised. We will discuss much in details when I do receive your response.

Thanks and waiting for your urgent reply.

Dr.Jose Kwame

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam